"This time, the one that appeared should be a fish-type Gurongi. Its movements are extremely swift—especially underwater, where its speed makes it very difficult to track."
By the Hudson River, Steve analyzed the characteristics of the Piranha Gurongi.
"After being hit by the Wind Pegasus I fired, it directly tore off its own arm and jumped into the water to escape. In an instant, it left the range I could sense.
Its movement speed and concealment ability in water really exceeded my expectations. I let my guard down for a moment, and it actually got away."
"Captain Steve, did you deliberately let it escape?" Kent asked, his interest piqued.
Steve nodded.
"Using Kuuga's sealing energy to completely kill a Gurongi will inevitably cause a violent explosion.
And as the strength of the defeated Gurongi increases, the power and range of that explosion also increase. At the time, although the vast majority of the cruise ship's passengers had already been brutally killed by the Piranha Gurongi…
There were still some survivors…"
Kent nodded in understanding. Having fought Gurongi alongside Steve for so long, he had personally witnessed how the explosions caused by defeated Gurongi had grown increasingly violent.
"Captain, your consideration was indeed very thorough. If the Gurongi had exploded directly on the cruise ship, it definitely would have endangered the survivors."
Steve shook his head, his tone tinged with regret.
"I just didn't expect that this Piranha Gurongi—after losing an arm and being seriously injured—could still so quickly escape my sensing range."
"Captain, the Gurongi has appeared again," Coulson's voice came through the communicator.
Steve's spirits lifted immediately.
"Where?"
"The New York Police Department used the smell of blood to set a trap and lured the Gurongi out. The G3 combat squad is currently engaging it. I'm sending you the location now."
Coulson transmitted the coordinates.
Steve and Kent exchanged a glance and immediately rushed toward the marked location.
Meanwhile…
"Damn it, this monster is way too agile!"
The G3 armored combatants stood back-to-back, maintaining formation and preparing to respond to incoming attacks at any moment.
"More importantly, it moves silently underwater. We can't track its movements or react to its attacks in advance."
"Exactly. This environment is perfect for it, but it's a huge burden and restriction for us," another combatant agreed, glancing at the constantly shifting waves around them.
Although they had unexpectedly discovered the Piranha Gurongi's sensitivity to the smell of blood and successfully lured it out, the G3 combatants had no choice but to fight it in the water.
The water level had already risen to the chest of their G3 armor, severely impacting their mobility and combat effectiveness.
The Piranha Gurongi was extremely slippery in the water. The G3 squad couldn't find any opportunity to land a solid hit and could only defend passively—fortunately, the armor's defensive capability was excellent.
When the Piranha Gurongi realized its claws couldn't directly break through the G3 armor, it chose to use its sharpest weapon—its fangs—to attack the armor's weaker points.
Its dark-energy-infused fangs bit into a vulnerable area on a G3 unit's arm, tearing open a series of fine cracks.
If not for the three G3 combatants covering one another and immediately counterattacking with electromagnetic daggers, that bite might have torn off a chunk of armor.
The Piranha Gurongi could break through their defenses, yet the G3 squad still couldn't capture this slippery predator. Their situation grew increasingly dangerous.
Fortunately, Steve and Kent arrived just in time.
Seeing the G3 squad struggling awkwardly against the Piranha Gurongi, Steve didn't hesitate and immediately took action.
He instinctively shifted into Rising Dragon Form, leaped into the water, and swung the Azure Dragon Rod down toward the Piranha Gurongi.
Sensing the sudden attack from its nemesis Kuuga, the Piranha Gurongi swiftly adjusted its body, attempting to dodge.
But the Dragon Rod followed it like a shadow, locking onto the Piranha Gurongi without being affected by the water flow at all.
Steve felt as though he could sense even the subtlest currents in the water. He could easily pinpoint the Gurongi's position, and the staff moved without any sense of resistance—if anything, it felt like it was empowered by the water.
"So this is the warrior who commands water…"
"The Dragon Form?" Steve immediately recalled the title in his mind.
The Piranha Gurongi was struck by the staff. Using its remaining arm, it clutched the spot where the sealing glyph appeared. Its body stiffened as it struggled with everything it had to suppress the sealing energy.
Steve snorted coldly, increasing the force in his hands. The sealing energy poured out without restraint.
In the end, the Piranha Gurongi could no longer suppress it. The glyph fully formed, and the creature exploded into a mass of flames, engulfing an area thirty to forty meters wide.
"…What exactly are you?"
A G3 combatant exhaled in relief after seeing the Gurongi destroyed, then finally asked a question that had lingered for a long time.
"You call me Kuuga," Steve replied after a moment's thought, choosing not to reveal his identity as Captain America for now—to avoid unnecessary chaos.
After all, a legendary hero from sixty or seventy years ago suddenly reappearing would inevitably cause an uproar. At this point, alien invasions and gods of legend had not yet been openly revealed to the world, and the public wasn't nearly desensitized enough.
Besides, Steve himself hadn't fully adapted to this modern world yet.
At the same time, in the boundless universe…
Loki—rescued by Thanos after drifting through the void—strode arrogantly into the command hall of the Chitauri fleet's flagship.
"Asgardian, this is not a place you may enter at will," a Chitauri captain said coldly as he stood up.
Loki sneered with disdain.
"Thanos has already promised to place this fleet under my command. That means I am now your supreme commander."
"You—"
The Chitauri captain bristled, about to speak further.
"He is indeed your commander now. You will obey his orders," the Chitauri commander's holographic projection interrupted.
Loki cast a smug glance at the captain and asked arrogantly,
"When will the portal to Midgard be opened? When can I conquer it?"
"Soon. We have already detected the energy signature of the Tesseract. With the device provided by Lord Thanos, we will soon be able to open a space gate and send you there," the Chitauri commander said reverently.
"After that—"
Loki waved his hand impatiently.
"I will use the Tesseract to open a spatial passage, allowing your fleet to arrive on Midgard and help me conquer it."
The Chitauri commander glanced at him.
"Do not forget Lord Thanos's requirements."
Loki smiled faintly.
"The Tesseract, right? As long as you help me take Midgard, that won't be a problem."
With that, he turned and left.
"Commander, that Asgardian is far too arrogant," the Chitauri captain said angrily.
"It's just a low-level civilization that hasn't even left its home planet. Our fleet could easily wipe out all resistance and rule Earth.
I don't understand why Lord Thanos would cooperate with such an arrogant Asgardian and even have us follow his command."
The Chitauri commander shook his head.
"Earth—or rather, Midgard—is under Asgard's protection.
If we were to launch a direct invasion, it would likely provoke Asgard's military intervention.
That Loki is, at least in name, an Asgardian prince. If he leads the forces into Midgard, it avoids drawing Asgard's direct involvement."
With the legitimate heir of Asgard as the leader, it would effectively be an internal conflict.
The Chitauri captain nodded slightly.
When Odin had conquered the realms, Asgard's reputation had echoed across the cosmos.
The Chitauri were, at their core, nothing more than space raiders. Even after pledging allegiance to Thanos and receiving enhancements, there was no way they could contend with a cosmic hegemon like Asgard.
(End of Chapter)